[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

The main reason we decided to go to La Spezia was to rectify something we were unable to do when we were in Italy in 2013. I’m referring, of course, to the Cinque Terre, the five small towns that stick like barnacles to the rocky shores of north-western Italy. The five towns, from north to south are

1. Monterosso al mare
2. Vernazza
3. Corniglia
4. Manarola
5. Riomaggiore

Most people who have ever glanced at a glossy tourism brochure of Italy have most likely seen some pictures of some of these towns with their almost overly picturesque settings along a stunning coastline with crystal clear Mediterranean water under an impossibly blue sky that just has to have had its colors saturated. While visiting the towns of Cinque Terre it’s hard to not draw fairly strong parallels to another distinct Italian coastline, the Amalfi coast. When we stayed in Sorrento in 2013, we did make it down to Positano and the Amalfi coast proper and I can say, town-wise, they appear to be on the bucket-list of most of the “Europe in 10 days crowd” as all these towns are virtually overrun with them. It’s like they were built with future tourists in mind. Said tourists, as much as I at times find them overbearing, do contribute to the Italian economy that so sorely needs it that we accept that they are simply part of the landscape.

We’ve traveled just shy of two months in Italy on this trip and have a slightly different approach to getting experiences. Instead of oohing and aahing over these towns that are reasonably easy on eyes but are, at the end of the day, modest man-made structures for habitation and commerce, we decided to hike (yes, that’s on foot) between the towns. We’re not Olympian athletes by any stretch of the imagination, but we do enjoy walking and do so daily. Thus, with appropriate footwear and plenty of water we were going to walk the whole stretch. The “stretch” used to be known as the Blue Path, the lower, paid-access only path in four sections between the five towns changed a few years back when severe mudslides took out the two southern-most sections. In other words, south of Corniglia, we knew we had to venture up along the old paths to make it to Manarola and ultimately Riomaggiore.

We procured our Blue path access passes in Monterosso. These passes in addition to granting us access to the path itself, graciously also unlocked the train station washrooms which you otherwise couldn’t get into. I.e. the turn stiles for the washroom accepted the path pass, not coin. Interesting joint venture between nature and the call of nature…

The pictures in the galleries below (grouped by path sections) speak for the splendor of the scenery better than I can in words. Practically though, while the Blue Path is stunningly beautiful, it is also very crowded. I also found that I was surprised at how strenuous it was as I had expected something rather sedate to appeal to the hikers in sandals (of which there were more than a few). Nonetheless, these paths were not flat and in places narrow enough that we frequently had to choreograph an awkward ballet with people so neither would fall off the path when passing.

The Blue Path felt like the Champs Elysees in comparison to the old path that we embarked on once we were southbound from Corniglia though. The steepness and relentlessness of the incline were outdone only by the ruggedness of the path itself, at least when considering we were still in a tourist area. In the Coastal Ranges and the Rocky Mountains in both parks and wilderness, I’ve hiked paths I’d bare grant that designation and these ones were not that rustic. Nonetheless, we often found ourselves bracing against and holding on to rocks to scale particularly narrow and steep areas.

The stretch from Corniglia to Manarola is a rather long one and on the map it looked like it would just be a hop, skip and a jump from Manarola to Riomaggiore which would then conclude the hike on a casual note. However, the topology lines were largely missing from our simple trail map and only once we were fully committed to the last leg of the journey was it apparent that we would have to hike up and down a small mountain to get to Riomaggiore. At the top however, while cursing and spitting dust, we learned from a sign that we had ascended up along the original path that existed when both towns (Manarola and Riomaggiore) were young. And to stroke our egos, the sign (again at the top of the mountain) proclaimed that it should be attempted by “expert excursionists” only. Maybe move that sign down to the start?

Regardless, we weren’t going to stop short of completing the whole hike anyway. At the end of the day, according to the FitBit I had walked 35,000  steps and ascended 353 flights of stairs, both of which shattered my previous personal bests. Despite a slight stagger to my gait, this was a great way to really experience Cinque Terre.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image” src=”http://[2600:1f13:e3b:9100:ae18:b451:18d2:e990]/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170529_154614.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” /][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

Serious drop-offs. Here the path is relatively wide though.

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image” src=”http://[2600:1f13:e3b:9100:ae18:b451:18d2:e990]/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170529_151709.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” /][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

After a while it’s all about staying cool and hydrated. One of the best feelings was to run the water from a Corniglia drinking fountain over our heads.

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image” src=”http://[2600:1f13:e3b:9100:ae18:b451:18d2:e990]/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170529_165019.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” /][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

Meredith descending the mountain towards Riomaggiore. The painted red and white stripes marked the trail. Cross-trainers or hiking boots recommended.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

Blue path section One from Monterosso to Vernazza

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery admin_label=”Gallery” gallery_ids=”2267,2266,2265,2264,2263,2262,2261,2260,2259,2258,2257,2256,2255,2254,2253,2252,2251,2250,2249,2248,2247″ fullwidth=”off” orientation=”landscape” show_title_and_caption=”on” show_pagination=”on” background_layout=”light” auto=”off” hover_overlay_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.9)” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” /][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

Second Blue Path section. From Vernazza to Corniglia

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery admin_label=”Gallery” gallery_ids=”2246,2245,2244,2243,2242,2241,2240″ fullwidth=”off” orientation=”landscape” show_title_and_caption=”on” show_pagination=”on” background_layout=”light” auto=”off” hover_overlay_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.9)” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” /][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

Third section and first of the old trails as we’re now where the Blue Path is closed.

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery admin_label=”Gallery” gallery_ids=”2239,2238,2237,2236,2235,2234,2233,2231,2230,2229,2228,2227,2226,2225,2224,2223,2222,2221,2220,2218,2217,2216,2215,2214,2213,2212,2211,2210″ fullwidth=”off” orientation=”landscape” show_title_and_caption=”on” show_pagination=”on” background_layout=”light” auto=”off” hover_overlay_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.9)” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” /][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

Final section. Old path from Manarola to Riomaggiore

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery admin_label=”Gallery” gallery_ids=”2209,2208,2207,2206,2205,2204,2203,2202,2201,2200,2199″ fullwidth=”off” orientation=”landscape” show_title_and_caption=”on” show_pagination=”on” background_layout=”light” auto=”off” hover_overlay_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.9)” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” /][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]